Hoops action back at the "House that Frank Built"

Sneakers haven't squeaked across the basketball court at the Carolina Coliseum since the 2002 - 2003 season. On Thursday night, that changes.

The number 19 South Carolina women's basketball team (14-3, 2-2 SEC) will play at the old arena Thursday night in SEC play against the LSU Lady Tigers (11-6, 2-2 SEC) at 7 p.m.

So what brings this game to the old Coliseum? A scheduling conflict, it seems. Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley will be in concert at the Colonial Life Arena at the same time the Gamecocks plan on playing the Lady Tigers.

Thanks to that event, the South Carolina athletics department got creative and decided to bring hoops back to the arena that once housed thousands of basketball fans from 1968 to 2002.

Calling it a great change of pace, women's coach Dawn Staley says she hopes playing in the arena is good to her team's offense.

"The mystique of playing here and having our players play here is a
great thing. I think the community really likes the idea of playing
here, and hopefully we can get a lot people in the stands to bring back
the glory days," said Staley.

The women's team hasn't played a game at the Coliseum since an NCAA Tournament round game on March 18, 2002.